The lasting impact of PTSD on Vietnam veterans: Research links combat to chronic conditions more than 50 years later

Two major new studies from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health reveal that veterans of the Vietnam War continue to face significant psychological and physical health challenges decades after their combat experience. The research, one of the longest observational studies of Vietnam veterans to date, finds that PTSD and combat exposure are strongly linked to cardiovascular disease and chronic illnesses, as well as ongoing psychological distress, with effects persisting up to 50 years after their service.